Today in History 26th February

1848 Marx and Engels publish The Communist Manifesto in London

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KUl4yfABE4

1932 Country legend Johnny Cash is born

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aF9AJm0RFc

1973 Footballer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer born

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-XsRJU-LGo

1993 A bomb goes of at the World Trade Centre in New York, killing 5 people and injuring many more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yg6Wl5Vbg-U

1994 Bill Hicks, American comedian dies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxsGyljd6B0

Neil's Rosemary and Garlic Pork with mixed vegetables

Ingredients

Small pork joint about 350g

10 baby potatoes

1 large carrot

i small onion

1 red pepper

6 mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

2 sprigs Rosemary

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Black pepper

Method

1. Turn on oven to Gas mark 6

2. Place pork on foil and cut 4 slashes about 1cm deep into the flesh. 

3. Crush the garlic and rub into the slashes.

4. Turn the pork over and place the rosemary on top of the pork.

5 Wrap the foil around the meat and turn over again and place in roasting pan.

6. Pace pan in oven for 45 minutes.

7. Wash and cut the potatoes and carrots into bitesize chunks (do not peel) and boil in salted water for 25 minutes.

8. Pour the carrots and potatoes into the roasting pan around the meat. 

9. Drizzle the olive oil onto the vegetables.

10. Place back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

11. Chop the onion, mushrooms and pepper and add these to the roasting pan.

12. keep cooking for another 30 minutes.

Serve Immediately and enjoy.

Wednesday thought 5

I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.

                                                                       Maya Angelou


Money can buy you a fine dog, but only love will make him wag his tail.

                                                                       Kinky Friedman

Top 10 tips for people going to Rome

Greetings gentle reader.

Here are my (and Lena's) top 10 tips for a successful Roman Holiday.

1. Dont use the train, taxi or Terravision buses to get to the centre from the airport. Use T.A.M buses. They are cheap 5 euro from airport or 4 from city. They run from 5am til late every 30 minutes, seven days a week and you can buy your ticket from the driver and free Wi-Fi.

http://www.tambus.it/?lang=en

2. Do not believe the people who can arrange tours of the Vatican, or other tourist attractions who tell you that you will be for queueing for hours unless you pay them a lot of cash.  A guy who looked very official tried to get us to pay 32 euro each to skip the "3 hour" queue. We said No and only waited for 25 minutes and paid 16 euro each for a ticket to the museums and the Sistine chapel.

3. Speaking of the Sistine chapel after you have admired Michaelangelo's masterpiee and you are heading for the exit. Dont turn left, turn right. There is an unmarked small door which allows you access to St. Peter's Basilica without queueing for a second time.

4. Speaking of the Vatican. Take sandwiches, snacks, anything you like. Just don't eat the Pizza. It was incredibly oily and used some very unusual ingredients. Going during Lent is also a problem as they will not serve meat. The restaurant instead of meat was serving pasta with whole small octupi.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187793-d2371062-Reviews-Self_Service_Musei_Vaticani-Vatican_City_Lazio.html

5. Foe some amazing food on the other hand we recommend Terra di Siena. We went for lunch there 3 times in 5 days. The first time for Lena's birthday. The lady serving even gave her a free tiramisu with a candle in the top. Their lunch menu tastes amazing and you get two courses and a glass of wine for just 10 euro per head.
http://www.ristoranteterradisiena.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d814009-Reviews-Terra_di_Siena-Rome_Lazio.html

6. When you go to the Colluseum and the Forum. Do not try to see it in one day. The Forum is well worth taking your time to explore and the views from there over Rome are incredible. All the tickets are valid for 2 days and they cost 12 euro which in my opinion was the best 12 euro i have ever spent. My tip...do the Forum on day 1 and do the Colluseum the next morning. Join the queue for the Colluseum for people who already have a ticket.

http://www.rome-museum.com/colosseum-palatino-roman-forum.php

7. Do not try to see everything on the first day. Plan your trip carefully so that you can see all you want to see without walking for miles and damaging your health. You can use public transport (metro, buses and trams) for only 6 euro for a day ticket. The metro and the the buses are very easy to follow.

8. Try to avoid Rome when the home football team is playing. Roma and Lazio both have a very strong Ultras following and this means there can sometimes be trouble before and after matches. On our visit there were Dutch fans causing problems at Villa Borghese and the Spanish Steps.

9. Plan for a spontaneous day. If you are in Rome for more than a weekend, take the time to see the other side of Rome. Take the train, tram or bus and just get off and explore. You never know what you might discover. Italians are a very friendly people and will always help if you get lost. Dont be afraid to use the language if you can. Romans are very forgiving.

10. Don't wait for summer to go to Rome. In February when we went it was very pleasent and there is always some kind of festival going on. Rome in July and August can be very HOT and some of the family run restaurants may actually be closed.

If you are serious about going to Rome, why not ask us a question in the Comments box. We can answer in English, Latvian or Russian.

Home

Hello gentle reader sorry i have not posted for a couple of days but I am pleased to say that we are back in Riga.

Rome was fantastic and I will reflect on that adventure this weekend.

I wanted to write today about the importance of Home.

I was born in London, have Scottish parents, lived in Banff and Aberdeen in Scotland and now live in Riga, Latvia.

So where is home to me?

My mother and my sister live in Norfolk, England and I visit  whenever I can. I lived there myself for a while and Norwich is a fine city (it says so on the signs), but is it  HOME? Sorry but no, although there is family,  beyond that there is no emotional attachment for me.

London, my birthplace and home for my first 17 years will always be special and my football team, Fulham, will always be in my heart, but would I want to live there again.....definitely not. The London i loved is not there anymore.

Scotland, my spiritual home, is where I lived the longest, I got my degree there, appeared on TV there (a long story) became a father there and will probably go back there one day (a long time from now though). Its beautiful, friendly and romantic if it wasn't for the weather it would be perfect. Is it my HOME though? Nah

That leaves Latvia, beautiful, complicated Latvia. I love it, Riga is the loveliest city I have ever lived in, I have colleagues who I trust, friends who a dependable and a wife and son I love to bits.

 Latvia is my Home.

Scottish pub

Going to the Scottish pub in Rome

http://www.nagshead.it/

Stuck in Rome haiku

Extra days in Rome

with Lena I'm in heaven

Latvia can wait.

Whoops

Greetings gentle reader.

I was hoping that tonights entry would be from home in Riga, unfortunately we are still in Rome. We missed our flight home and luckily we were able to get our hotel room back for a couple of days.
Lena was able to fix the flights and Danny is being taken care of for a couple more days. Thanks Sue.

I could think of worse places to be stuck for a few days; Baghdad, Tripoli, Dundee for example but at least in Rome, the people are nice. Mind you the Dutch football fans I mentioned yesterday made a hell of a mess in the City. Also the new James Bond movie is being filmed in the city too. Maybe I can give Daniel Craig some fitness tips.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3BEykbsm

Haiku 1

I have been playing around and have written a few Haiku's, so gentle reader I am going to share them with you.

I write a Haiku

on a plane to Rome with her

she reads, i write more.

Lena is the sun

on an autumn windy day

full of life and love.

Winter skys and sun

glare brightly into my eyes

and leave sparkles there.

Welcome to Rome 4

Today was our last full day in the Eternal City so we decided to just buy bus tickets and see where the wind took us. We had seen just about everything we wanted to see so today was to see the things we had missed or really wanted to see again.

We started our day with a trip to the Jewish Ghetto. The buildings in this part of Rome are very close together and the little alleys and streets between them are beautiful. From here we took a tram across the Tiber into Trastevere where once again I was beguiled by the beauty of the little piazzas and houses. We crossed Tiber Isand to get back to the East side. so we could visit the Mouth of Truth which according to legend will close on anyone who is not truthful. I went first and popped my hand in and hey guess what.....nothing happened, even though i was saying to myself. Fulham will win the Champions league one day....so it must be true. Come on you Whites!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6af1dAc9rXo

Lena wanted to go for lunch to the restaurant we went to on Tuesday and once again Terra di Siena did us a lovely meal. Lena had carbonara and I had bolognaise. I really can't reccomend them enough and if you find yourself in Rome, i suggest you go look for it yourself.

We visited Piazza Navona again and sat in the sunshine until it got too cold to sit anymore.

We then decided to the Villa Borghese Park because we had heard it was quiet and peaceful way to spend an afternoon. Unfortunately the Dutch football fans (Feyernoord) who were in Rome to see their team take on Roma this evening were not in the mood for peaceful tranquility. They were pissing on the trees and being very obnoxious.

Once we got away from the lively dutchmen the park was quiet and beautiful and we had gelato (yummy) before heading to the metro for our journey back to the hotel.

Lena's least favourite thing about her trip was the Vatican Museum Pizza, the best thing for her was having her birthday in a city like Rome.
For me the worst thing was the constant "selfie stick" sellers and other hawkers. (I didn't see them in Eat, Pray, Love) The best thing for me is difficult because everything was new, Lena has been here twice before and I have broken my Roman virginity. As a teacher I should say the Colluseum and the Forum but for me i genuinely think just being here is the best thing. The people have been mostly friendly, the food has been amazing and the weather has been kind.

Can i come again Lena? Pleeeease?????

Wednesday Thought 4

Hello Gentle Reader

I have two thoughts for you to think about today and considering the day Lena and I have had I think you will find them apt. The first one is about the importance of pizza, the second from Papa Frankie.

"My love is pizza shaped. Won't you have a slice? It's circular, so there's enough to go around."

"Human rights are noy only violated by terrorism, repression or assassination, but also by unfair economic structures that create hige inequalities."

Lazarus Rising Novel Chapter 2 part 2

Here is the second part of the second chapter of my Novel... by the way it now has a title

Lazarus Rising

"So McFadden, tell me the news from Virginia."

The man who had asked the question was huge. He stood 6 feet and 4 inches and built like a bull. His black hair had started to grey at the temples but it was still lush and thick. At 36, George Foxworth was a self-made man. The son of a ship's captain, he had gone to sea when he was only 13 years old and had worked his way up the ranks through a combination of hard work and a ruthless streak that even his father found unappealing and possibly dangerous.

When he was 16, Georges father had taken him on what he called an 'educational journey'. His father was taking a consignment of rifles and other cargo to the Ivory Coast in Africa. This was going to be a long voyage for the young man who was still learning his place onboard ship and in the world. The journey was uneventful and when they reached their destination, young George was intrigued by the climate, the scenary and the people he saw. 

Rich merchants milled around the docks in their finest attire, bidding for and buying cargo and even the ships. Tired, bedraggled sailors lurched from tavern to tavern.
But what really interested George were the slaves. Hundeds of men, women and children; most in chains, dressed in rags, the women with their breasts bare. The men were silent as they sat in cages in little groups but even aged 16, George could recognise the fear and anger in their eyes. This did not frighten the young man; it inspired him.
He could see the merchants who had become rich from buying and selling humanity. He saw his father earning a salary but not really sharing in the fortunes that could be made. George decided there and then that he would be the richest man he could.

Over the next 10 years, young George grew and prospered. He bought his own ship, filled the hold with slaves that his men had kidnapped and sailed it himself to Jamaica where he sold them for a massive profit. From there he travelled north to Virginia where he refilled his hold with cotton and tobacco to take back to Britain. Finally he sent cargo back to Africa and the Triangle of Trade was complete.
As the years passed, George , after making his fortune, decided to build, or buy some roots of his own. He found a well respected, but poor family, wooed and wed the eldest daughter and when her father mysteriously died in a hunting accident, he inherited the family manor house on the edge of the village of Stelling Minnis in Kent.

In just 15 years, George had gone from cabin boy to Lord of the Manor through his own hard work, ruthlessness and strength of well. Now 5 years on he was set to become the owner of a complete fleet of merchant ships and that would cement his name into the history of the British Empire.

The fact that his wife was upstairs making a hell of a racket was not helping his tension.
The man, McFadden, an earnest lookinh Glaswegian who acted as George's deputy answered, "Very Good Sir. The new American government is still willing to to do business with us." He smiled at this and he was relieved to see his employer smile too. George had a reputation of being difficult to please.

"So, profits are up, I can get my new ships and the future looks bright. Tonight, hopefully, my son and heir is being born."
"Yes sir, congratulations sir, a true blessing"
"Shut up you snivelling little worm", George snapped. "Your job is to make me money. Do that and I will be happy. Keep your sicophantic opinions to yourself."

A tortured scream broke the flow of the conversation and George looked genuinely furious.
"Bloody woman! Cam't she just do it quietly?"
McFadden looked genuinely shocked at his employers outburst.
"Sir, this is your wife; she is obviously in a lot of pain."

"How dare you speak to me like that sir. I will not allow a jumped up little pen pusher like you to tell me how to treat a bloody woman. Breeding sir, all they are good for; just like the nigger bitches we sell in Kingston and Virginia. No bloody brood mare is more important than money. Remember that McFadden; a man without money is nothing."

McFadden, was very disturbed by his employes tirade but managed to retain his composure, he took a deep breath and managed to answer "Yes Sir" to his red-faced employer.

A knock at the door was followed by Mrs Stokes who stepped respectfully into the room.
"What do you want now Stokes?" George demanded, "Can't you see I'm busy?"
The housekeeper seemed to shrink in her masters presence. In front of the maids and the other staff she came across as a strict authoritarian who ran the day to day running of the house with a strong hand, When George was around she was just another employee and his presence in the house always caused tension.
"I'm sorry sir, but Doctor Metcalf has asked me to tell you that Mrs Foxworth is in great pain."
"I didn't need you to disturb my business with that you stupid woman. Half of Kent can hear that bloody woman's screams. Maybe some sort of gag for her to bite down on will solve the problem."
" Sorry sir, no." the housekeeper said. "Mrs Foxworth has lost a lot of blood and the doctor is unsure that the outcome will be successful."
George seemed to visibly crumple and he grabbed the arm of a red leather chair and sat down. He reached to the table beside it and picked up a half full glass of brandy. He stared into the glass thoughtfully as if he was trying to see the future in the swirling brown liquid. He took a deep sip and sat back in the chair.
"McFadden, please leave" he said quietly but firmly.
"Of course sir" the young Scot said and he headed for the door.
"Mrs Stokes, see him out ans then return please."
"Of course, sir."
She ushered the gentleman out of the roomand then closed the door behind her.
George took another large gulp from the glass, finishing his drink. He was pouring himself another when the housekeeper returned.
"What about the child?" he asked quietly.
"Dr Metcalf is not sure, sir" she replied.
George rose up to his full height and looked at the housekeeper.
"Tell the doctor that if it means saving my son; he must...whatever the cost. Do you understand, Mrs Stokes?"
"Whatever the cost, sir?" she asked with the tear in her eye.
"Yes, whatever the cost."
He turned his back to her and leaned with both arms on the mantlepiece over the fireplace and stared into the flames. He heard the housekeeper leave the room and he lifted his head to look into the ornately carved mirror that was hung over the fireplace. He gazed at his reflection and was suprised how old he looked. A tear gently rolled his cheek and he felt ashamed at his own weakness. He wiped the tear away, looked squarely at his own reflection and said to himself again, "Whatever the cost."

Welcome to the Vatican.....but not the pizza

As you can tell from the post title we have gone to another country today. The Vatican is an independent state within the city of Rome and is referred to as the Holy See.

Its a bit like the rest of Rome. Full of tourists, wonderful buildings and nuns as far as the eye could see.

The one thing it doesnt have in common is the PIZZA!!!!!! DO NOT EAT THE PIZZA AT THE VATICAN MUSEUM......IT STINKS.

All part of my service to those of you who may be thinking of giving Papa Franky a visit in the near future.

I dont want you to think that all we did was go to the Vatican for Pizza, we went to visit the wonderful Vatican Museums including The Sistine Chapel and St Peters Basilica, I just wanted to warn you about the pizza, Pizza is very important so don't  buy any there.

Any way our tour started with a queue, as we approached the queue some hawker numpty told us we would be queueing for hours to get in unless we paid him a shitload of cash. within 30 minutes we were in. DO NOT BELIEVE THE HAWKER CRAP!!!!!!

The museum is huge and takes in artefacts from before the Roman Empire all the way up to the present day. There was a large amount of Egyptian stuff too. My favourite room was the room with all the ancient maps of Italy. These maps are huge and cover the walls of a long corridor. There are also amazing tapestries that are around 500 years old but look like they were made last week and like the maps, they are massive.

The Sistine chapel is probably the reason most people go to the Vatican museum tour and as a spectacle it was somewhat ruined by a security gaurd shouting Silencio almost the whole time we were there. The paintings on the walls are incredible and the ceiling is impressive but somehow what I had imagined and what I saw didn't mesh.

Now read the next bit carefully.....IT IS IMPORTANT

If you are in the Vatican Museum and are just away to leave the Sistine Chapel.... STOP!!!!
At the back right hand side of the chapel is a small inocuous looking door with no signs on it. Go through this door and you will get access to St Peter's Basilica without queueing. This means if you are planning to do both. DO THE MUSEUM FIRST.

DO NOT BELIEVE TOUR GUIDES/HAWKERS WHO TELL YOU YOU CAN ONLY GET ACCESS TO ST. PETERS IF YOU ARE IN A GROUP.

The Basilica itself is wondrous. Immense in scale and decorated with Bernini statues and Michaelangelo paintings, it is truly the church of churches. I am not a religious person at all but even I was moved by the grandure and genuine holiness of the place.

Tomorrow is our last full day in Rome and it will be full. Stay tuned gentle reader.....the best is yet to come.

Welcome to Rome 3

Rome Tuesday 17th February 2015

Its Lena's birthday woo hooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today we woke up at a much more suitable hour and once again had the same breakfast.
As it was Lena's birthday breakfast I was hoping for strawberrys and champagne but i guess beggars  cant be choosers.
After yesterdays massive hike around Rome I was pleased that Lena suggested we take the Rome metro back to the Colloseum so we could actually go in. Romes metro is small, just three lines  A, B and C and our hotel is very close to the only station that is on two of the lines. This makes it very easy and convenient to get around.

Yesterday we just looked around the outside of the colluseum but we had bought tickets that would allow us access to the colluseum and Forum for 48 hours. This is a great way to see all the sights because it really is worth taking time to see the Forum. Luckily we managed to skip a big queue and didnt have to wait long to get into the Colluseum.

The Colluseum itself is very impressive, the scale of the structure is very impressive considering it was built nearly 2000 years ago, the architectural skill required dwarves modern buildings.

Inside Lena and I ran into some British gentleman who were quoting "Life of Brian"  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrDVsprWRCQ

"Otters noses, Ocelot Spleens,..... "

Lena just shook her head, I thought it was being Latvian was the reason why she didnt get Monty Python. One of the wives of the British guys said she didnt get it either.....Maybe Monty Python is a boy  thing?

The main plan of today was to do the Angels and Demons tour of Rome. Fot those of you unfamiliar with the novel or the movie, it is written by the writer of The DaVinci Code is about the Illuminati. It is set mostly in Rome and our hero has to follow clues found in various Rome locations to find a murderer.

Our tour saw us take in sights that are not usually on the Rome "to do" lists but we saw many places including The Pantheon, Piazza de la Popolo, Piazza Navona and Castel St Angelo and we finished in St. Peters Square.

For lunch today we went to an absolutely lovely Bistro called Terra di Siena in Pasquino Square (http://www.ristoranteterradisiena.com/inglese.htm). When the owner found out it was Lena's birthday she bought out some home made Tiramisu with a candle. The food was incredible and the service was excellent. We both thoroughly reccommend it if you find yourself in Rome.

All the places we visited were beautiful to look at and great to see in the flesh. I loved the Pantheon and Lena loved the tiramisu best.

When we finished today instead of walking back to the hotel, we got the Metro.....nice.....see you for more tomorrow.

Welcome to Rome 2

Rome day 2
Lena's alarm went off at 6.15 this morning. I wondered why it was so dark.

Breakfast at a more suitable hour consisted of a very large tasty croissant and a very small tasty Cappucino.

Today was ancient Rome day so after Lena had told me that "No you can't wear a toga" we set off in search of the Colluseum. Lena knew the way so we set off. I was very excited.
I had been to El Djem in Tunisia a few years ago but the sheer scale of the place is what impressed me the most. I was also struck by the number of non-Italian hawkers who were trying to sell us "selfie sticks" After saying no in a polite way about 100 times i was seriously tempted to buy one so I could jab it up the guys arse.

The Roman Forum was spectacular. Great views over Rome, including my first view of St. Peters Basilica. Being in the forum gave us a real insight into what life in Rome under the Caesars was like. Streets such as Via Nuova with their little shops on either side gave us a tantalising glimpse back into history.

The weather today was not that unpleasent but every now and then the wind would  blow very hard so Lena borrowed my hoodie cardigan. When it got too warm for her she would take it off and hang it on my shoulder bag. i was wearing my lovely and fabulous pink jumper so i was cosy for most of the day.

We left the forum to find lunch and discovered street opera. Four amazing singers treating a large crowd to arias from The Marriage of Figaro, The Barber of Seville and Carmen plus many more.

Lunch was spent at a little street bistro called Valorani's. http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome-144659/Restaurants-Rome-Caffe_Bar_Valorani-BR-1.html
Lena had spaghetti carbonara and I had Ravioli, we also had a glass of wine each some bruscietta  and dessert for only 13 euros a head.

After lunch we saw the Monumento Vittorio Emanuele II which looks a bit like a giant wedding cake. Lena thinks the guy must have had a very little cock because the building is so huge.

We next headed to the Trevi fountain but when we got there we discovered that due to rennovations there wasn't a single drop of water in the place and just a load of scaffolding and some surly looking workmen. We  could still throw coins, I threw three, but some of the romance is lost when you suddenly realise you are tossing your hard earned cash into a plastic bathtub.

By now I was flagging, age and infirmity dog me wherever I go, but Lena wanted to climb the Spanish Steps so up we went. 135 steps and I counted everyone. When we reached the top and I was gasping for breath and Japanese girls were squealing like Miss Piggy on Helium a guy asked me if I was Russian; Russian Me? Nah!!

There was a good walk home to the hotel via the supermarket so Lena could buy wine in a carton. Need to rest my feet are killing me.

Welcome to Rome 1

Bongiorno my Blogger chums.

Started our trip to Rome with an early landing at Leonardo da Vinci airport. Waited for nearly an hour for our bus and when it finnaly arrived we were whisked unceremoniously to the cities main train terminal. 

Our hotel "Venezia" was a short walk away past numerous kebab shop style pizzerias and tratatorias. Having dropped off the bags we decided to take a walk and find some food. Eventually finding our way to the Piazza della Republica and dodging the Roman traffic near the beautiful fountain we meandered down one of the many streets of Rome where you will find hawkers and the homeless (some with dogs).

Number one item for sale seemed to be a personalised stapler. When accosted by one young man i had to say, " Thank you, no. I already have stapler" and we walked on.

With Lena's "hunger anger" rising we eventually found ourselves outside a restaurant called "da Trani".   (www.datraniromerestaurant@gmail.com) 

Faced with an almost impossible choice we both decided on the pizza (original huh???),

Lena had the Lucifero with chilli and chilli salami and I had the sausage and nushroom.

My quote to Lena upon taking my first bite was "F*** thats good pizza."

As a 46 year old man, I have tried a few pizzas in my time. I am not a religious man as many of you know but this was God's Pizza. It was like all the thousands of Pizzas I had ever had were suddenly erased from my memory for all eternity.

Sorry Cili Pica but compared to Roman pizza you are like Hesburger.

Tomorrow (Monday), we are going to the Colluseum, the Forum and Circus Maximus....I hope the clowns aren't too scary.

To finish let me just say in preperation for the Colluseum;

I am Spartacus.....and so's my wife....

Ciao

Valentines Day......and off to Rome in the morning

Hello gentle reader, I hope you had a wonderful Valentines Day whether you were with the one you love or not. Valentines day can be a bitter sweet one for me but today was my first with Lena and I enjoyed myself to the full.

Tomorrow I am off to the Eternal City of Rome, so blogging may take a back seat for a few days. Writing will not though as I intend to document Lena's and my adventures.
On Monday we will visit the Colloseum and the Forum, Tuesday, Lena's birthday, we will do the Angels and Demons walk; Wednesday we are doing the Vatican and Thursday .....who knows.

Today my blog passed 1000 views. Thank you all.

Neil

Friday 13th

The fact that Friday the 13th or Black Friday as it is sometimes called is a widely held superstition in western philosophy and society is strange. the term Friday the 13th was only used for the first time to mean bad luck when Rossini, the Italian Composer died in 1868.
The 1907 book Friday the 13th about a broker who tries to create a crisis on Wall Street may have popularised the myth because it was only during the 20th century that the superstition of Friday 13th grew.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia is a genuine fear of Friday 13th

Friday was the day Jesus dies and their were 13 at the Last Supper?????

Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales said Friday was a bad day to begin a journey.

In Finland, Friday 13th is National Accident Awareness Day.
In UK, the BMA say more accidents occur on Friday the 13th than any other date but Dutch authorities say its the safest.

The 1972 Andes plane crash where the survivors were forced to resort to cannibalism happened on the day.

In Spanish speaking countries and Greece, Tuesday 13th is seen as unlucky.
In Italy  Friday 17th is unlucky.

In my opinion Superstitions are important both culturally and personally. They help us make sense of the world around us and only if we let our lives become obsessed and paranoId do they become harmful. I am not generally a superstitious person and I tolerate those that are.

Heres to Friday 13th wherever you are.

Lazarus Rising Novel chapter 2 part 1

Ok gentle reader, here is the first part of chapter 2 of my novel.

Chapter 2

November 5th 1789

The wind howled wildly and shook the house. The maid, who was running along the main upstairs corridor of the house screamed as a jagged flash of lightning illuminated the window and she almost dropped the bundle of towels she was carrying. A stern faced woman in her mid 50's opened the door and glared at the young maid with a look that could curdle cream.

"What took you so long, you stupid girl? the older womn demanded.

"Sorry Mrs Stokes" the girl stammered. 'The master demanded my attention downstairs."

"Its your mistress who is demanding now, my girl" the woman replied; "lets hope this ends quickly."

A scream from inside the room caused the young maid to turn as white as her apron and she clutched at the wall to stop herself from falling.

"Dont be so squeamish Violet", the woman scolded. "Have you never heard a woman give birth before?"

"My father used to let me help when the spring lambs came. I have never heard anything like that before."

The older woman shushed her, "Keep your voice down! Your mistress is no ewe in a field; and this baby may well be the new master one day."

"Yes, Mrs Stokes. Sorry Mrs Stokes. Here are the towels that Dr. Metcalf asked for."

"Good, now go and ensure that the master and his guest have everything they need."

Violet turned and quickly scurried back along the corridor towards the stairs. The housekeeper turned and entered the room from where the screams had been coming and the door was quickly shut.

______________________________________

Inside the room, which was sparsely decorated, was a bed and on the bed a young woman aged about 22 was in labour. The labour was not going well and the village doctor, a kindly loking, elderly man was looking down on the woman with obvious concern. He briefly looked up to acknowledge the housekeepers return.

"Ahh Mrs Stokes, I hope I'm not being to much trouble to you and your master. Will the gentleman of the house be joining us?"

'Unfortunately, Dr. Metcalf, the master is entertaining a business colleague who has travelled from London and he has specifically asked not to be disturbed."

The woman on the bed screamed again and the doctor refocussed his attention onto her.

"You are doing wonderfully Mrs Foxworth, everything is going to be fine" he reassured her with a lie.

"Where's George?" the young woman asked the housekeeper.

"The master is downstairs Madam, he is being updated as to your progress and sends you his best wishes and his wish for a quick and happy resolution."

"Please impart to him my own regards and that I hope my early  confinement has not caused him any..." her words were cut  off by another scream, "...inconvenience." she finished.

The doctor turned to the housekeeper and whispered, "Mrs Stokes, Mrs Foxworth is minutes away from giving birth." He got up and leaning in closer he added "She has lost a large amount of blood, that is why I requested more towels."

He cleared his throat and continued "There is a chance that she or the child may perish and your master, her husband is busy downstairs entertaining. It is essential  that he is made aware of the seriousness of this."

"I will pass on your message, but the master understands that business must be put before personal matters."

"Even at the cost of his wife or child? the doctor was shocked and horrified.

"Yes sir" the housekeeper informed him matter of factly and without rush or urgency she turned away and left the room.

__________________________

Today in History 12th February

Today in History 12th February

1554 - Lady Jane Gray who was Queen of England for only 13 days is executed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgwb5bln-Fw

1709 - Alexander Selkirk, the inspiration behind Robinson Crusoe is rescued after spending 4 years stranded on Juan Fernandez Island

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCgITT5QTJs

1809 - Naturalist Charles Darwin, who theorized about evolution is born

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKnqj3YFXU8

1809 - 16th President of USA Abraham Lincoln born

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TCMHVmNc5w

Wednesday Thought number 3

For my Wednesday thought this week I will be sharing with you the thoughts of one of the greatest popular philosophers of his or any age.

Ladies and gentlemen i give you Homer.......Simpson.

1. If you want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now shhhh....they're about to announce the lottery numbers.

2. The Information Superhighway shows the average person what some nerd thinks about Star Trek.

3. Television! Teacher! Mother! Secret Lover!

4. To alcohol! The cause of and the solution to all of lifes problems.

5. All my life I've had one dream, to achieve my many goals.

Philosophy 1

Hey, gentle reader.....good to see you back. As promised here are some of my philosophical musings. I often sit and think about life, the universe and everything else. Here is my view on success.

Whatever anyone desires requires belief that they will achieve their goal. There is a school of thought that says that if we only wish about success or only think about it, we will not succeed in our goals. The head and the heart need to be in equilibrium in order for us to achieve success.

A persons life energy comes from the heart and spirit. Motivation to succeed comes from 5 distinct things in a persons life

Family

Loyalty

Integrity

Trust

Unity

Family is first in the list; for good reason. Everything we do we do for them.

From our parents and siblings; to our wives, husbands and partners; to our children, grandchildren and beyond; we are constantly striving for their approval and praise. Our children are our legacy to the world; what we leave behind is a gift and we invest time, love and energy to make them the best gift we can give.

Ou family is our inspiration.

Loyalty to your family; freinds; colleagues and ourselves is everything.

Being there in times of need and depending on them when we have problems.

Many people have stuff to deal with in their lives. Many problems can be solved through honest communication even if it is not what they want to learn.

Faith in ourselves; faith in God; Faith in family; faith in friends; faith in the sydtem of government. Faith no matter what; its form moves mountains.

Integrity neans keeping your word and success will be yours. Trust means being open and transparent in all your dealings whether they are business, social or personal.

Dont live your life in the gray areas, a person of substance has nothing to hide. If we are constantly looking over our shoulder, our dreams of success will keep moving further aaway.

Let the past go!

Unity means joining with others to make your success more easily acievable. Everyone pulling together to achieve individual goals they have makes the team/community stronger. Being Number one can take a backseat to helping all.

Duplicate leaders in your community  you admire, focus on your strengths dont dwell on your short-comings.

Weather instruments2

Barometer

A barometer is an instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure.

 

Materials

	-         a jar
	-         tape
	-         large balloon
	-         paper
	-         drinking straw
	-         elastic band

-          

1.)    Cut the neck of the balloon off and stretch it over the opening of the jar.

 

 

2.)    Tape a straw to the middle of the balloon. 

 

3.)    Tape a piece of paper to the wall so that the end of the straw can touch it. 

 

4.)    On the paper make a line where the straw is touching and record the date. 

 

5.)    Record the daily movements of the straw on the piece of paper.  This allows the students to see the change in air pressure. 

Important Info:

-         High air pressure will make the balloon cave in and make the straw go up.

-         Low pressure will make the balloon puff up and make the straw go down.